Cartridge magazine construction

ABSTRACT

A cartridge magazine for holding cartridges for feeding to the barrel of an explosion-driven bolt-setting device comprises an elongated flat flexible band preferably made of an inexpensive material such as plastic. The band includes a plurality of generally cylindrical projections defining cartridge holding recesses arranged at equally spaced locations along the band and notches at each side of the band to facilitate its feeding. The recesses open on the top of the band and at the bottom and they are constructed with a widened base portion to hold the base portion of a cartridge therein flush to the exterior side. The upper portion of the recesses embraces the cartridge with a press fit in an area extending from one-third to two-thirds to the height of the cartridge. Each cartridge-holding recess is defined by a conical projection extending upwardly from the band which tapers on its exterior inwardly in a direction toward the tip of the cartridge. The angular taper of this portion of the cartridge magazine is slightly greater than the cone angle of the cartridge chamber of a gun barrel with which it is to be employed, so that the cartridge magazine with the cartridge will be moved out of the gun barrel when the gun barrel is moved forward after the explosion of the cartridge.

United States Patent Karl-Ernst Udert [72] Inventors Triesen; Hans Umbach, Stadeln, both of Germany [21] Appl. No. 787,055 [22] Filed Dec. 26, 1968 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [73] Assignee Hilti Aktiengesellschaft Schaan, Liechtenstein [32] Priorities Mar. 11, 1968 [3 Germany [31] P 16 78 396.3;

July 29, 1968, Switzerland, No. 1 1317/68 [54] CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE CONSTRUCTION 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 89/35, 102/865 [51] Int. Cl F42d 39/08 [50] Field of Search 89/1 34, 35; 42/54, 57, 58, 87, 88; 102/865 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,334,052 3/1920 Putnam 89/161 3,208,350 9/1965 Robinson 42/87 3,318,245 5/1967 Ferriet al. ..l

ABSTRACT: A cartridge magazine for holding cartridges for feeding to the barrel of an explosion-driven bolt-setting device comprises an elongated flat flexible band preferably made of an inexpensive material such as plastic. The band includes a plurality of generally cylindrical projections defining cartridge holding recesses arranged at equally spaced locations along the band and notches at each side of the band to facilitate its feeding. The recesses open on the top of the band and at the bottom and they are constructed with a widened base portion to hold the base portion of a cartridge therein flush to the exterior side. The upper portion of the recesses embraces the cartridge with a press fit in an area extending from one-third to two-thirds to the height of the cartridge. Each cartridgeholding recess is defined by a conical projection extending upwardly from the band which tapers on its exterior inwardly in a direction toward the tip of the cartridge. The angular taper of this portion of the cartridge magazine is slightly greater than the cone angle of the cartridge chamber of a gun barrel with which it is to be employed, so that the cartridge magazine with the cartridge will be moved out of the gun barrel when the gun barrel is moved forward after the explosion of the cartridge.

CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE CONSTRUCTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to the construction of a cartridge magazine and in particular, to a new and useful cartridge magazine band having a plurality of tubular projections which define cartridge-receiving recesses at fixed spaced locations along the length of the band and which are of a dimen sion to pressure engage the exterior of a cartridge and to surround the cartridge adjacent the base thereof but to permit the top end to project outwardly therefrom, the cartridge projections providing a conical surface on the exterior of said belt which facilitates a quick release from a conical surface of the cartridge chamber defined by the barrel of a bolt-setting device.

A cartridge magazine for bolt-setting guns should be designed as a disposable magazine in order to simplify the setting operation as much as possible. If the operator must refill the magazine with cartridges by himself, a great part of the time gained by the use of the guns with cartridge magazines is lost. There is a need therefore for a disposable magazine having as little material as possible, and which uses relatively inexpensive materials but which do not impair the natural stability of feed and the alignment of the cartridge in respect to the firing device. Such a construction should be an easily extrudable form or one which would avoid the require ment for undercutting as far as possible.

The present invention has particular application for use with an explosive charge-powered setting gun for driving anchoring elements into a hard receiving material such as concrete. An application of a cartridge of the type of the present invention is indicated in application, Ser. No. 750,817, filed Aug. 7, 1968, by Hans-Dieter Seghezzi and Herbert Rangger and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

An explosion-driven bolt-setting gun having a barrel mounted in a housing which carries at its endpiece at a location remote from the driving direction a substantially coaxially arranged cartridge chamber can be displaced in an axial direction. This gun has a duct extending substantially perpendicularly to the main axis of the gun which is provided for receiving a cartridge magazine. The cartridges are arranged substantially parallel to the main axis of the gun after the introduction of the cartridge magazine into the duct. By moving the barrel against the driving direction the respective cartridge which extends coaxially to the cartridge chamber will be introduced into the cartridge chamber. The cartridge magazine used for such an application will be band shaped and consists, preferably, of plastic material and embraces the lower portion of the cartridge in a form-closed manner. Cartridge magazines of this type are known which include a construction in which the primed cartridge remains within the magazine and is held with the magazine. Such a construction permits the elimina tion of ejection devices for the cartridge and does not require, for example, a cartridge ejection lever mechanism which extends under the bottom of the cartridge or an ejection journal at the rear end of the thrust piston. In addition, it permits the easier handling of the gun since it is no longer necessary to shake the ejected cartridges out of the gun after they have been fired. In addition, it is no longer necessary that specially ejection openings be provided for the empty cartridge cases.

A prerequisite for such a cartridge magazine and for operation of a gun with this type of ejection is that the cartridge must have a tight fit in the cartridge magazine and must not remain in a cartridge chamber when the barrel is moved in a driving direction so that it will remain with the magazine and it will be effectively removed from the cartridge chamber of the barrel.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a band magazine designed as a disposable magazine which includes tubular formations forming projections on one side of the band for receiving and embracing the lower portion of a cartridge. The base of the cartridge fits into the recess of the band and its bottom or end is aligned flush with the plain side of the band. The cartridges are arranged in the recesses with a press fit. The exterior wall of the projecting portions forming the tubular recesses for each cartridge is conically tapered toward the tip of the associated cartridge at least at a location above the cartridge bottom. By making the tubular projections which define the cartridge-receiving recesses with the conical formation it is possible to use the magazine in connection with a setting gun having a barrel which is similarly conically formed facilitates the even aligned feeding of the cartridge into the barrel cartridge chamber. In addition, the cone angle of the conically tapered tubular part on the cartridge magazine as well as the cone angle of the cartridge chamber of the barrel of the gun-setting device are made so great that self-locking of the cartridge or of the cartridge magazine itself within the cartridge chamber of the gun barrel is not possible. In this way jamming of the cartridge in the cartridge chamber of the gun barrel is avoided and it is ensured that the cartridge will always remain in the magazine and will be withdrawn from the'gun with the feeding movement of the magazine.

For a tight fit of the cartridge in the cartridge magazine recesses, it is sufficient if the cartridges are embraced by the magazine only in an area adjacent its bottom portion. In order to positively avoid stoppages which may be caused by broken cartridge cases, and particularly with conical'cartridge chambers, it is advantageous if the cartridge magazine is formed to embrace the cartridge approximately up to the region in which the tubular projection forming the cartridge recess is of a minimum wall thickness so that the distance from the cartridge case to the wall of the cartridge chamber defined by the gun barrel will be a minimum. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the cartridge magazine embraces the cartridge for approximately one-third to two-thirds of its height. The magazine also engages the bottom or base of the cartridge around its periphery. By not forming the magazine to engage the cartridge over its entire height there is a savings in material and in addition after the cartridge is ignited, and the cartridge case becomes pressed against the wall of the cartridge chamber at the gun barrel and the case expands into an even tighter fit with the cartridge magazine. The construction also prevents the flowing of the material of the magazine when the magazine is made of a plastic material. The magazine is constructed so that the parts thereof which are exposed to high pressures and temperatures during the explosion and the burning powder gases will not cause the melting and flowing of the magazine material because gas flow in a direction opposite to the driving direction along with any backward blowoff of the propellant gases will be prevented. The construction is such that the cartridge magazine does become supported on the surface of the barrel defining the cartridge chamber in the firing position both at the location of the projections defining the cartridge recesses and the base of the projections between adjacent recesses.

Preferably the cone angle of the conically tapered part of the cartridge magazine is made slightly greater than the cone angles of the conical cartridge chamber of the barrel of the receiving gun. The cartridge chamber wall and the conical part of the cartridge magazine must come in contact with each other particularly adjacent the part of the cartridge chamber which faces the cartridge magazine so that an increase compressive stress on the plastic is ensured in this contact region when the gun is pressed against the target material. Under the action of the firing pin the cartridge contained in the cartridge chamber cannot yield axially and the necessary ignition energy can thus be kept very low.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved magazine construction which includes a base member such as a belt or band having a plurality of tubular projections forming cartridge receiving recesses of a dimension such that the magazine will embrace each cartridge adjacent its lower portion and hold it with a press fit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cartridge magazine construction which includes a flexible belt having a plurality of tubular projections on one side thereof defining cartridge chambers each with an interior dimension smaller than the cartridge dimension to be held thereby, and each having a widened base portion for engaging the cartridge adjacent its base with a press fit, the outer wall of the tubular projections being conically formed for easy release for a similarly conically formed surface of a cartridge chamber of a gun barre].

A further object of the invention is to provide a flexible belt cartridge holder having recesses on a lateral side thereof which are engageable with feeding mechanism for advancing the belt through a gun, the belt having tubular projections on one face with conical faces to facilitate the release from a cartridge chamber of the gun barrel, the chambers being shaped to engage the cartridge over an area extending from the bot tom upwardly to one-third up to two-thirds of the height of the cartridge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cartridge magazine which is simple in design, rugged in construction, and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a magazine constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of the magazine indicated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the lines III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial longitudinal section taken on the lines IVIV ofFIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but indicating the preferred taper of the magazine in relation to the cartridge chamber of the gun barrel in the preferred construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein comprises a cartridge magazine generally designated 1 which comprises an elongated narrow band or strip 2 having cutouts or notches 5 on each side arranged at evenly spaced locations along the length thereof. The cutouts or notches 5 are provided for engagement with an advancing mechanism (not shown) of a gun-setting device which is operative during firing of a cartridge to advance or index the magazine to present one cartridge after the other into alignment with the cartridge chamber of the gun barrel. Further, the band or strip 2 has spaced openings 6 therethrough.

In accordance with the invention a plurality of tubular projections 3 are defined at equally spaced locations along the length of the band 2 on one face thereof. The projections 3 define cartridge receiving recesses 41 having a dimension adjacent the top thereof, as seen from FIG. 2, which is less than the external dimension of a cartridge 10 at its cylindrical base portion immediately above a widened base 1 1 thereof.

In view of the provision of the cutouts 5 on each side of the band 2 the magazine band 2 may be inserted into a gun chamber from either of its ends. The notches 5 will be aligned on each side with an indexing mechanism which may, for example, engage only one side thereof.

At a further feature of the invention is the construction of the projections 3 with an exterior wall which is conically tapered so that it may be easily aligned into a similarly conically tapered wall of a cartridge chamber 21 formed at the inner end of a barrel 20 of a gun-setting device (not fully shown). The gun-setting device is of a type which is used for anchoring elements such as anchoring bolts, nails and the like into a hard receiving material such as concrete. The interior of the tubular projections 3 are preferably conically tapered or formed to a smaller dimension at the top or open end so that they will tightly engage against the wall of the cartridge 10, and the cartridge will be press fitted or frictionally held within the recess formed by the projections. The press fit of the cartridge 10 within the recess 4 is advantageously achieved by making the diameter d (FIG. 3) of the recess 4 in its uninfluenced state slightly smaller than the diameter of the cartridge case of the cartridge 10.

Each of the tubular projections 3 are reinforced at their base by a widening of the material making up the projections. In addition the sides bounding the cutouts 5 are also reinforced to facilitate an even feeding of the magazine by mechanism which engages in the recesses behind the reinforced areas. Naturally the necessity and the extend of the reinforcement will depend upon the strength of the magazine material used, which is advantageously an inexpensive plastic.

As indicated in FIG. 4, the magazine 1 is shown arranged at the rear end of the barrel 20 of the setting gun. The cartridge 10 which is contained in the magazine is shown located centrally within the barrel of the gun. An end face 21a of the barrel is engaged against a base portion 2a of the band and a conical face defining a cartridge chamber 21 is engaged against the exterior conical face of the tubular projection 3.

The cartridge chamber 21 may have the same cone angle as the part 3 of the cartridge magazine or as indicated in FIG. 5, which is the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cone angle 01 of the conically shaped part 3 of the magazine 1 is slightly greater than the cone angle (l of the conical cartridge chamber 21. In this construction the cartridge chamber wall and the conical part 3 of the cartridge magazine come in contact with each other particularly in the part of the cartridge chamber 21 facing the cartridge magazine 1, so that an increased compressive stress on the plastic material of the cartridge magazine 1 will be ensured in this contact region. Under the action of the firing pin the cartridge pin arranged in the cartridge chamber 21 will not yield axially so that the necessa ry ignition energy may be kept very low.

The cone angle of the projections 3 and the cartridge chamber 21 is so selected that a self-locking of the cartridge in the cartridge chamber would be prevented, even after its igni' tion. The cartridge will be introduced into the cartridge chamber 21 by the movement of the barrel 20 in a direction of the arrowfas indicated in FIG. 4, that is in a direction contrary to the driving direction. The barrel 20 is provided with a rear conically expanding portion 22 directly in front of the cartridge and after ignition the gases expand outwardly in its portion against the driving piston (not shown) to move it in a driving direction.

After ignition the cartridge is pulled out of the cartridge chamber 21 by the separation of the magazine 1 from the cartridge barrel 20 which moves in a driving direction in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow f. Therefore, special means for rejecting the cartridge are not necessary. In addition the gun need not be provided with an opening for ejecting the cartridge shell because it will remain with the magazine and will be moved by a further indexing of the magazine upwardly and outwardly through an opening in the gun provided for the magazine passage.

The cartridge bottom 11 should at least be flush with the band-shaped part 2 of the cartridge magazine and if necessary should project a few tenths of a millimeter beyond the bandshaped part so that a sufficient pressure may be exerted on the cartridge by the breech mechanism (not represented). This will ensure that the magazine part between the cartridge and the cartridge chamber wall will not adversely affect the ignitability of the cartridge because of the certain flexibility of the cartridge magazine 1. The cartridge bottom should not project from the cartridge chamber beyond its height so that bottom ruptures will not occur.

IOIOOS 0048 What is claimed is:

l. A cartridge magazine particularly for use in introducing cartridges into a conically shaped cartridge chamber in an explosive charge-driven setting tool, comprising a magazine strip formed of a plastic material having a pair of oppositely directed face surfaces and a pair of oppositely directly edge surfaces extending between said face surfaces, said strip having an opening extending between its face surfaces for receiving the base of a cartridge, at least one tubular projection secured to one face surface of said strip about the opening therethrough and extending outwardly from the one face surface of said strip, said tubular projection and opening through said strip forming a cartridge receiving chamber arranged to engage a cartridge in a press fit, the exterior surface of said tubular projection being conically tapered in converging relationship toward the end of said projection remote from said strip and with the cone angle of said projection arranged to be slightly greater than the cone angle of the cartridge chamber in the setting tool.

2. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein said tubular projection has an internal wall which is conically tapered toward the outer end thereof.

3. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein said tubular projection is of a size to engage the cartridge around its periphery from its base upwardly to the extend of one-third to two-thirds the height of the cartridge.

4. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein a cartridge located within the cartridge receiving chamber with its base end flush with the other face surface of said strip and extending upwardly through the cartridge receiving chamber with its opposite end positioned outwardly from the outer end of said tubular projection, a setting gun having a barrel arranged to cooperate with said cartridge magazine and the conically shaped cartridge chamber located at one end of said barrel with its conically shaped surfaces tapering inwardly toward the other end of said barrel, and the end of said barrel containing said cartridge chamber being arranged to bear against said one face surface of said magazine strip.

5. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein said magazine strip having a plurality of uniformly spaced cutouts along at least one edge surface thereof and being adapted for engagement with an advance mechanism in the setting tool.

6. A cartridge magazine, particularly for use in introducing cartridges into a conically shaped cartridge chamber in an explosive charge-driven setting tool, comprising an elongated band of flexible plastic material having a pair of oppositely directed face surfaces and a pair of oppositely directed edge surfaces extending between said face surfaces, said band having a plurality of openings extending therethrough between said face surfaces at equally spaced locations along the length thereof, a tubular projection corresponding to each opening through said band and said projection secured to one surface of said band about the corresponding opening therethrough and extending outwardly from the one surface of said band, each said tubular projection and opening through said strip forming a cartridge receiving chamber arranged to engage a cartridge in a press-fit, the exterior surface of each said tubular projection being conically tapered in converging relationship toward the end of said projection remote from said strip with the cone angle of said projection being slightly greater than the cone angle of the cartridge chamber in the setting tool.

7. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 6, including cutout portions defined along one edge surface of said band at fixed equally spaced locations along the length thereof.

8. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 7, wherein said cutout portions are defined on each edge of said band, said band being reinforced at locations between said cutout portions to permit engagement of said cutout portions by a feeding mechanism.

9. A cartridge chamber, according to claim 6, wherein the openings through said band are widened at the other said face surface to accommodate a widened base of a cartridge, and

the depth of the widened portion of the opening being such that the base of the cartridge lS held at a location spaced outwardly from said band. 

1. A cartridge magazine particularly for use in introducing cartridges into a conically shaped cartridge chamber in an explosive charge-driven setting tool, comprising a magazine strip formed of a plastic material having a pair of oppositely directed face surfaces and a pair of oppositely directly edge surfaces extending between said face surfaces, said strip having an opening extending between its face surfaces for receiving the base of a cartridge, at least one tubular projection secured to one face surface of said strip about the opening therethrough and extending outwardly from the one face surface of said strip, said tubular projection and opening through said strip forming a cartridge receiving chamber arranged to engage a cartridge in a press fit, the exterior surface of said tubular projection being conically tapered in converging relationship toward the end of said projection remote from said strip and with the cone angle of said projection arranged to be slightly greater than the cone angle of the cartridge chamber in the setting tool.
 2. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein said tubular projection has an internal wall which is conically tapered toward the outer end thereof.
 3. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein said tubular projection is of a size to engage the cartridge around itS periphery from its base upwardly to the extend of one-third to two-thirds the height of the cartridge.
 4. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein a cartridge located within the cartridge receiving chamber with its base end flush with the other face surface of said strip and extending upwardly through the cartridge receiving chamber with its opposite end positioned outwardly from the outer end of said tubular projection, a setting gun having a barrel arranged to cooperate with said cartridge magazine and the conically shaped cartridge chamber located at one end of said barrel with its conically shaped surfaces tapering inwardly toward the other end of said barrel, and the end of said barrel containing said cartridge chamber being arranged to bear against said one face surface of said magazine strip.
 5. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 1, wherein said magazine strip having a plurality of uniformly spaced cutouts along at least one edge surface thereof and being adapted for engagement with an advance mechanism in the setting tool.
 6. A cartridge magazine, particularly for use in introducing cartridges into a conically shaped cartridge chamber in an explosive charge-driven setting tool, comprising an elongated band of flexible plastic material having a pair of oppositely directed face surfaces and a pair of oppositely directed edge surfaces extending between said face surfaces, said band having a plurality of openings extending therethrough between said face surfaces at equally spaced locations along the length thereof, a tubular projection corresponding to each opening through said band and said projection secured to one surface of said band about the corresponding opening therethrough and extending outwardly from the one surface of said band, each said tubular projection and opening through said strip forming a cartridge receiving chamber arranged to engage a cartridge in a press-fit, the exterior surface of each said tubular projection being conically tapered in converging relationship toward the end of said projection remote from said strip with the cone angle of said projection being slightly greater than the cone angle of the cartridge chamber in the setting tool.
 7. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 6, including cutout portions defined along one edge surface of said band at fixed equally spaced locations along the length thereof.
 8. A cartridge magazine, according to claim 7, wherein said cutout portions are defined on each edge of said band, said band being reinforced at locations between said cutout portions to permit engagement of said cutout portions by a feeding mechanism.
 9. A cartridge chamber, according to claim 6, wherein the openings through said band are widened at the other said face surface to accommodate a widened base of a cartridge, and the depth of the widened portion of the opening being such that the base of the cartridge is held at a location spaced outwardly from said band. 